The Swedes love their fika - a phrase which loosely translated means 'to meet and have coffee', preferably with a slice of cake and some good company. A little like the German tradition of Kaffee und Kuchen, fika is an important part of Scandinavian culture.
Wayne's Coffee is a Swedish coffee shop chain which has recently arrived in the UK. At the moment the only two branches in the country are both in the capital; there's one on Kensington High Street and the one my husband and I decided to visit today: Ilford.
Ilford is situated in the East London borough of Redbridge on the Essex/London border, about ten minutes from Westfield Shopping Centre in Stratford and just a twenty minute train ride to London Liverpool Street.
My husband had brought home a flyer for this new coffee shop one day and I was intrigued by their trademark Supercinos - healthy plant drinks with the consistency of a cappuccino. So we decided to go and check it out for ourselves...
Granted, it's not much to look at from the outside, occupying an old Santander building on the corner of a cold, grey high street on a wet Tuesday morning in February, but once you step indoors, everything is so much better.
With a cosy atmosphere, well-stocked displays and friendly staff, I instantly felt relaxed and at home.
We did, however, manage to resist temptation and just order the Supercino - I went for matcha while my husband chose the hemp & cocoa option. At £3.50 each, they are slightly pricey and not something I'd shell out for every day, but as a one-off treat they were definitely worth it. Mine consisted of matcha powder, raw sugar and oat milk and I could easily have drunk another. Hubster reported that his tasted just like hot chocolate.
Hubs was getting visibly irritated and slightly embarrassed with my photographing everything in the store - including his drink before he was allowed to touch it - and my protests of "It's for my blog!" didn't seem to pacify him. Honestly, non-bloggers will never understand us, will they?
Overall, I'm really impressed with Wayne's and its high-end, organic beverages, snacks and lunches. Like I said, it's not the cheapest place in the world, but for the quality of the products, the cleanliness, the professionalism of the staff and the all-round pleasant atmosphere, it's the perfect place to go if you want to treat yourself on a dull, dreary day.
Where's your favourite place to relax and unwind?
This is NOT a sponsored post, nor am I affiliated with Wayne's Coffee in any way. I just wanted to share a nice little spot I found which you might want to visit if you're in town. Let me know if you do.
Let's connect!